Unearthed
by The Owl's Pen
Summary: A little unintentional digging goes a long way toward revealing a certain Tyrannosaur's affections!


*edges back into view after an 8 year lapse and waves*.

Hi! I do not own Toy Story. Rated T. All other Author's notes at the bottom. Enjoy!

** Unearthed**

He pirouetted on one hoof, dipping low into an arabesque, and then Buttercup hopped down from the makeshift tight rope, bowing to the applause and whistles of the other toys.

"Thank you, thanks, oh you're so kind!"

"I'm impressed," said Buzz, who had dared him to do it in the first place. "I never expected a plush toy to be quite so nimble."

"It's the golden shoes," Buttercup explained modestly, holding out a hoof. He scampered back over to the circle of toys playing Truth or Dare. "My turn!"

It had started out as a slow Saturday. The Anderson family had left early for a camping trip, and since Bonnie had chosen only to take only Totoro with her, the rest of them were left to come up with their own entertainment. One brief powwow with Woody later, Dolly had announced that a friendly game of Truth or Dare was open to anyone who wanted in. But seeing the smirk on Buttercup's face had given her pause.

_"Friendly," _she had repeated, poking at his fuzzy plush hide. "This is a chance to get to know our new friends better, ok? Not scare them into jumping out the window."

"I'll behave."

"Yeah right."

But he _had _behaved. Buttercup had laughed and cheered with the other toys through their dares, and now it was his turn to select the next player. He bent down and nudged the arrow with his horn, setting it spinning. The toys began cheering and babbling excitedly, eager to see who got picked next. The arrow began to slow, passing Woody, Jessie, the Peas In A Pod... it slowed drastically in front of Prickle, and for just a moment Buttercup worried that he'd have to Truth-or-Dare the one toy in the universe who never got embarrassed and never hid what he was feeling, but then the arrow edged past the stuffed Hedgehog and landed on... Rex.

The whole room whooped delightedly.

The toy dinosaur gave a nervous little grin. "Um... truth?"

Buttercup considered his target. He'd only known Rex for about a week. The Tyrannosaur seemed like an anxious kind of guy, but sweet and eager to be helpful, and just as obsessed with video games as Trixie...

The unicorn grinned wickedly. Dolly frowned and gave him a jab that was surprisingly sharp for a girl with cloth elbows, but he ignored it. This was _way _too perfect.

"Rex..."

"Yes?" The dinosaur responded politely.

"Describe for us _in detail-_" Buttercup paused, dropped his deep, dramatic voice even lower, "- your ideal woman."

The toys squealed and laughed. All eyes immediately went to Trixie, who jokingly pawed the ground and lowered her horned head as if about to charge Buttercup. He knew she didn't really care if Rex liked her or not, but the reaction his question had gotten out of the other toys - especially the newcomers - was well worth it. Buttercup chuckled. Anyway, Rex must know he was kidding -

"Her name is Susan."

-or not.

The toy unicorn coughed nervously. "Wh-what?"

Dolly was glaring at him. Everyone else was staring at Rex, especially his longtime friends. The dino worked his little fingers together into a basket. He looked down at the floor.

"I mean... Susan is her full name... I think." He cast a shy glance at Woody and his group. "I guess I never really told anyone about her."

"I didn't mean to make you say anything," Buttercup babbled, suddenly panicked. "It wasn't fair, I - I'm so sorry Rex! I shouldn't have made you tell-"

"Of course he should!" Mrs. Potato Head cut in, gushing. "We want to know all about her!"

Rex perked up. "You do?"

"Sure!" Jessie was suddenly grinning. "I didn't know you were sweet on anybody, Rex! When did ya meet her?"

The tyrannosaur's eyes went wide. "O-oh, I've never actually _met_ her. She's um... sh-she's sort of famous..."

"You mean you've got a celebrity crush?" Woody sputtered. "That's-"

_"So cute!" _Trixie squealed.

"What's she look like?"

"Is she pretty?"

"What color are her eyes?"

All of the toys were suddenly babbling with curiosity. Rex ducked his head shyly, but he seemed pleased.

"Um, well _I _think she's beautiful. She's really tall... you know, nice bones. I don't really know what color her eyes are."

Hamm gave him a nudge and a wink. "Maybe you should ask her. Y'know, write a fan letter..."

Everyone joined in with enthusiastic encouragement, but Rex waved his little arms around in terror.

"Oh no, no! I could never. I-I don't think she'd write back."

"Why not?"

He looked down. "Um... there's kind of a big age difference between us..."

_"Oooh,_ an older woman!" Buzz grinned at the antique cowgirl doll sitting next to him. "I can recommend that."

Jessie giggled and smacked his arm.

"So what's she famous for?" Potato Head wanted to know. "Is she an actress? A singer?"

"No, nothing like that." Rex hesitated. "Th-there's an article I read about her in a science magazine..."

"A scholarly woman!" Prickle Pants exulted. "I compliment you on your excellent taste, sir!"

"Let's see the magazine!"

There was a sudden hubbub as all of the toys clamored in agreement. The dino ducked his head, bewildered. Feeling guilty for having exposed his new friend so much, Buttercup tried to intervene.

"Hey! Cut it out, you guys. Maybe Rex doesn't _want _us to see the article."

"But I do," Rex insisted.

"The unicorn blinked. "Really?"

He nodded shyly and motioned for everyone to follow him. "Come on. The magazine's in the den."

They rushed after him eagerly. Buttercup hung back so he could whisper to Woody and Dolly.

"I'm sorry you guys, I really didn't know Rex liked anybody!"

"Me neither," Woody chuckled. "It's ok pardner. I think he's enjoying this."

"Besides," Jessie added from behind them. "I'm downright curious to see who this girl is, ain't you?"

By now they had all crowded into the den. Rex trundled over to the bookshelf where the magazines were kept, hunted around for a moment, and pulled one out. He turned around with the magazine rolled up between his arms.

"There's a picture of her on the cover," he explained, fidgeting. "I guess it was kind of a big deal when they discovered her."

The toy dinosaur unrolled the magazine and held it out for everyone else to see. They gasped.

On the magazine's glossy cover, the tall, graceful skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus Rex stood silhouetted against a pale backdrop. The banner underneath the photograph read:

"Chicago's Field Museum Welcomes 'Sue!'"

No one could think of anything to say.

Eventually Rex peered over the top of the magazine, a shy smile on his jaws.

"See? I told you she has nice bones..."

The End!

Hello fellow Toy Story fans! I've been so happy to see all the new stories being posted in the wake of Toy Story 4, and I hope there are many more to come. Enjoy!


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